“C-Celeste?” Ellie jerked her hand away and pushed herself away from William, who froze. “What are you doing here again? Where is Dreadus?”

  Celeste let them go and felt the answer was pretty obvious. “Worried. I like this. Checking. Knowing. Bad things happen at all times. I am ready. Always.” She told them, nodding in an agreeable way that made her assured.

  “This... uhm. Where is Dreadus?” Ellie glanced around her.

  “Run away.”

  “Did he run away?” Ellie questioned her sanity by now.

  “Nope. I.” Celeste grinned, pointing to her face.

  Ellie should've realized that not every agreement and power was long-lasting. It seemed Dreadus was fine with being a loose guardian and 'father' in general. How typical...

  Celeste chuckled and stormed at them again, laughing and poking William's face. “Look better. Face and all. Better than faceless nonsense.”

  “What?” he asked.

  Ellie forced her hand away. “Ignore her, please. She is spouting nonsense all the freaking time. She was awful today. Jittery. Constantly unfocused!”

  Celeste didn't mind such words and felt good, as always, but not always, too. Her humanity was unusual, and her manners were far from those of William and Ellie, but they didn't mind it. People were diverse, and the growing little monsters in this world were even more so. She didn't mind it, of course. It was her life that made a difference, and she was free. Nothing changed it! Nothing broke it, or fidled with it like looming shadows and faces!

  She was free.

  One ought to enjoy it for as long as it was possible, and Celeste was fine doing her best, because anything else was stupid and a damn shame.

  Not too long afterwards, a not-so-surprising person made his appearance. Dreadus walked to the bench, holding two kebabs in each hand, and looked distracted and worried. He found Celeste immediately, yet... with others.

  “Why the hell did you run away when I was making our order?” he asked, wearing surprisingly common attire that almost made him... weird. For him, it was fucking awful, as looking like a neighbor next door wasn't his thing. His clothes were also too tight and did not fit properly.

  Celeste sniffed that delight, released her prisoners who had been her center of attention for a long time, and seized one kebab.

  Ellie tried to pretend they weren't there in the slightest. William only looked at that strange pair who fought over her kebab, and Celeste seemed to like it, and Hound agreed.

  Dreadus dragged her away, offering two kebabs, which she accepted so that he could glance at Ellie. “Oh, good to see you doing well. I will be working with you from time to time, it seems.”

  “What?”

  Dreadus blinked at her confusion and realized why it occurred. It seemed information had yet to spread, unlike Celeste, who kicked and jabbed at him to release her second kebab from weird space.

  “As of today, I am of the Yondu Division. Weird stuff, really. Assembly summoning is awful, but at least it is not days-long diving. Awful stuff, those are. I enjoyed my independence, but it seems the Association has already made some minor adjustments, statements, and I accepted them. Several other things changed, like my position, so why not go along even if it's annoying? I mean, Rey pursued me... most Pillars didn't mind it, since, well, they lack proper personal and even willing Walkers to do it at proper stages. I mean, I am Rank 7 Walker, so...”

  Ellie was speechless as she watched him wave at her and leave with Celeste, who seized the second treat after a vicious battle that included biting. More talks would be better right now, but it was clear Dreadus wanted to get out of this situation first. Hound was always close, on his feet, observing and taking note of their steps and faces, while sniffing the air for a rare moment of freedom.

  This left a pair on their bench. “Did he...” William tried to guess something, but failed.

  “It seems today's Assembly meeting was quite a big deal. Heidi mentioned it and said a lot of worrisome stuff. Dreadus is part of it, too, I suppose. There is something great ahead.”Ellie said and got up. “I don't want to worry about it right now. Come on.” She offered her hand, no longer pretending to be weak, and moved on from this hectic day.

  This could be yet another piece of a puzzle that was their lives. A single day could mean significant matters to people, even if they have left things behind or in the past. It shaped them in memories, recollections, and even other people, and made their future better. Even a slight difference made a substantial gap, for there was a risk that everything could fall apart quite quickly.

  No one sane could guess the future.

  Such were the days of this era in the twenty-second century. A place where humanity still strived, and love had yet to disappear. It was an element that prevailed even in the harshest, most apocalyptic situations, as long as the youth and the people got by.

  People often leaned on emotions, close dramas, or problems they faced or resolved. They were the people. Walkers or not, humans who want to live ought to hold and have their emotions. It wasn't something that the culture of this era should want to change too much, for there would be no humans otherwise.

  The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings.

  Ellie and William disappeared into the streets, with Ellie holding his forearm, and their lovely beginning was before them as their fates tangled together. Whether it was due to emotion or Ellie's endless internal struggles, something was hiding in plain sight.

  William had very little say in this, but he might as well accept this for something he wouldn't dare to do otherwise.

  ***

  A couple of days later.

  A regular morning spread its beams of curses, and soon a great afternoon raged in the sky. William left the upper floors once more, and it was time to go somewhere other than usual. Not home. Not for food. Not finding Ellie and doing a weird date-thing. His watch indicated it was 8 PM. A time that was just right for books or comics alike, but not today.

  Over the last couple of days, his mind had been fluttering with many emotions, but he had grown accustomed to it as fast as possible. Because if he didn't, learning or his future might change for the worse, and wasting Ellie's feelings would be stupid.

  He was still unsure what this change meant, or how to think about Ellie's proposals, or the shifting nature of hearts. She was more and more lovely, but also physical, as if she feared he would lose him, or perhaps it was just a way to show affection. To him... of all people? Was it something significant? Were they a standard pair, or... lovers? How did the usual breeding work, or what of the typical pairing?

  Did he have a say in this, or Mi-Yung? No. She had no say in this, but what if? Family... He didn't dare put it into words, but if this cultural floor had changed something, it was in the words and stories. Tales of romance were a bit uncharted to him, but they were here, in this cultural floor of renown and centuries of glory. Shaking his head, he thought about a lot of strange things in the past few days, but it no longer hurt.

  On the cultural floor, a hand soon forced his book down, revealing a familiar smiling Ellie. She wore the library's uniform this time around, which was rare. Her times had changed, but not the other face, or that dark one, barking and greeting him in this sick, cursed place.

  Celeste was not that far away from her, hopping beside William, and reached for the comics that she started to love more and more. These were about pictures, faces, arts, and worlds, while words weren't too heavy. Great art created greater areas and ideas for sure. She loved that.

  Of course, Ellie had a lot of consideration about them and felt that her reading and writing skills were still lacking, but perhaps that's understandable, given that Celeste had changed a lot, and nowadays, her focus had changed even more.

  At least she could read like a ten-year-old right now, and that was already more than Ellie thought was feasible. Writing was still a challenge, but Ellie knew that Outside didn't have too deep needs for that, and Celeste wasn't overly stupid to make it work in a couple of months or a year. She was just difficult to deal with because caring for her nature and what she stood for changed often.

  Her time as a Walker wasn't about writing or dealing with such things. Ellie got a little of it and hoped this mindset would be helpful for her future, as she would work with dozens, if not hundreds, of kids. Would even one be like Celeste? Probably not, but one was never sure.

  In a way, Celeste still exceeded many expectations, and Ellie judged that she was no ordinary youth, even with books and secrets reaching her eyes daily. By now, her looks were better than ever, and she almost resembled someone her age, or maybe older. Her robe-like uniform hadn't changed, but her hair was well cared for, as was her washed face. Hound was on the ground, resting in curiosity about what this pair was about to think or do.

  “What are you reading?” Ellie asked, ignored Celeste, and jumped onto the big sofa with plenty of room to spare.

  “Something for fun, as usual,” he replied without hiding anything.

  “Wonder Comics again? That is rather interesting, but in no way good. There are many better, interesting stories in the books than the comics.”

  “I know. You told me about that... four times, I think. However, I appreciate this simplicity because books often tell complicated stories that require greater imagination, but this? It is still great.”

  “Agreed!” Celeste said fervently, leaning to William's side and showing him a comic about a steel man and a bunch of heroes in comical suits.

  “Oh, I get that one too. They are quick and full of artistic actions.” William added, nodding as he smiled at Celeste's taste.

  Ellie felt hurt and felt that books were still better. She knew William's reading and writing skills were already great, even without her, in fact, and he even showed her his notebook yesterday. Its content shocked her, and many of his drawings weren't bad at all.

  “Just so you know, the pictures and art make it way too easy, but I get how simplicity is often much more interesting and easy to get into. It is like painting pictures with words. So much can be done with writing when you can draw it; yet, to do it with words alone—that's what I call ART! It makes a big difference.” Ellie argued.

  “But books are doing something comics can't, but it is the same with comics and books. They are different, so expectations should follow. Like kids, like me and Celeste, or people in general.”

  “And here I hear the same argument for the fourth time.” Ellie giggled and didn't mind this in the slightest. Arguments and discussions helped people understand each other, and she was very good at it. She often talked about this floor with both of them, and she always got the same response from William. She didn't think it was that bad, since it was his opinion.

  Celeste returned to her reading and felt that comics were better than those books filled with way too many symbols and words.

  Ellie worked through her feelings, as her time a week ago had been very hectic indeed. Back then, she was too tired, with almost no days off at all. Her mind was exhausted, and William's situation was a lot worse. It pushed them over the edge, and they accepted each other.

  Celeste let them alone for the most part, though her close proximity wasn't too annoying for either of them. In many ways, she was their mediator and a way to get them straight, even if Ellie didn't enjoy it every time.

  William didn't mind her because Celeste was interesting, and Ellie never stopped teaching her. Little by little, it will grow better, and Ellie trusted William was no sorry bastard. She read people well and felt she was right about both of them, or him, being her dear boyfriend.

  However, there was something that was undeniably coming to bite them soon. William will soon be a full-fledged Walker and go out to do his duties. He can die in a few years, and their time together would end, cut short, and... gone.

  William told her that many times, as death felt imminent and personal to him, but Ellie knew and accepted this the moment she revealed her feelings. It was no dubious relationship. She knew what she was getting from this. Most of his kind were complicated anyway, and there were things they both overlooked, or didn't want to touch.

  Walker's relationships were not so simple when their numbers and future owned them like a curse. There was also the matter of childbearing and pairing, which Ellie knew very well. She had no such hopes for being a big deal to him, but at the end of the day, would she mind it? Fuck no. She had a point in that, as well as Mi-Yung's blessing--probably. She didn't even realize it, but pressing Walkers was easy for young girls.